This is one of the few episodes storyboarded by executive producer Kunihiko Yuyama.

The Green Guardian (Japanese: ポケモンレンジャー登場！セレビィ救出作戦！！Pokémon Ranger Appears! Celebi Rescue Mission!!) is the 155th episode of the Advanced Generation series, and the 429th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on December 8, 2005 and in the United States on October 7, 2006.

Contents

Blurb

Celebi comes to the rescue of Pokémon under threat from a forest fire, but the effort leaves it exhausted and it creates a giant tangle of vines to protect itself. A day later, Ash and his friends reach the Cycling Road, which is temporarily closed. Pikachu suddenly runs into the forest, and Ash gives chase only to be stopped by Solana, a Pokémon Ranger. She lets them through in order to find Pikachu, but giant vines have sprouted everywhere—the real reason why the Cycling Road is closed.

Solana recruits some Pokémon to clear a path through the vines, freeing a trapped Team Rocket along the way. The group then catches up with Pikachu, who ran off to help Celebi. Our heroes all watch over Celebi until it recovers and once it's back in good health, the vines disappear.

Team Rocket returns and captures Celebi using their latest robot, so Solana and her Plusle spring to the rescue. Celebi is freed, and Team Rocket is sent packing by Pikachu and Marshtomp. But the wrecked robot nearly starts another fire, and Celebi quickly intervenes to save the forest once again. With its job done, it returns home, wherever—or whenever—that may be. And now that the vines are gone, our heroes can take the Cycling Road to Fuchsia City after all!

Plot

A raging fire engulfs the surrounding forestry area, as Celebi flies overhead to seal the forest flame and stop the devastation. After a flashing light, the fire disperses with Celebi in a fatigued state. A tree begins to fall as Celebi uses the last of its power to travel forward to an unknown time. It uses its powers to sprout vines from the ground to protect itself.

A new day becomes of Ash and his friends, as everyone is quite energetic. Walking down a nearby path, they arrive at the Cycling Road. The nearby Officer Jenny quickly diverts everyone to the nearby path around the Cycling Road. The Cycling Road was closed due to water filling the road. Pikachu's ears perk, as he dashes off into the nearby underbrush as Ash heads towards Pikachu's location. Running through the forest path, Ash and gang is quickly stopped by a Pokémon Ranger named Solana and her Plusle. Ash tries to explain to her about Pikachu as she picks up her phone to call the Ranger Union. Everyone then starts giving the usual introductions and Brock enticing with his usual love techniques.

In the nearby forest, strange vines grow from underneath and atop the nearby cycling path. Pikachu begins navigating throughout the strange vines as Team Rocket has managed to become ensnared within the vines. Everyone struggles to release the vines' grip but is unable to release themselves from the prison. Walking along the path, Solana and Ash come upon the strange vines. Solana notes that Celebi is nearby.

They group then sees several Pokémon. Solana scans them using her Styler. She then asks what she was doing. She replies that she's looking for a Pokémon that know Slash. Releasing the Capture Disc from her Styler, Solana begins rotating it in circles as the top begins to rotate around three nearby Linoone. A circle of light entices the Linoone as the pattern on the Ranger's device begins to change. Solana then asks Plusle to use Helping Hand. With a simple command, the Linoone then slash the vines and create a path for the group, as Brock explains what happens when a Ranger captures a Pokémon means to May.

Pikachu heads even deeper into the vines and jumps atop a platform to spot a heavily fatigued Celebi. Just as Celebi awakens to see Pikachu's face, Celebi falls back into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, Solana and Ash are continuing down the path with the Linoone clearing the path ahead. Jessie cries out as Ash and gang walk upon the entangled Team Rocket. Team Rocket asks for their help. Solana then asks the Linoone to slash the vines to free them. As fast as they can, Team Rocket dashes off into the distance, promising to leave the area.

Pikachu attempts to offer Celebi some food as Celebi slowly begins to return to normal. Solana thanks the Linoone as she then scans for nearby Pokémon to help her. Diglett and Dugtrio then pop out so she captures them with her Styler. She then asks Plusle to use Helping Hand on the two Pokémon. With one quick order, the ground begins to shake, as the Diglett disperse into the soft ground. As the dust and smoke clears, a hole is revealed, with the gang heading underneath the ground.

Pikachu is now making strange faces trying to cheer Celebi up as a strange sound comes from the distance. Then appears the Diglett and Dugtrio as the Ranger rushes from beyond the distance. Pikachu is in a defensive stance but comes quickly to understand that the Ranger is friendly. With one quick sight of Pikachu, Ash dashes over with the welcomed sight of his comrade. Max shouts out with the sighting of Celebi with May looking up Celebi's data. They then ask for Celebi's trust. That night, a campfire is made as the Ranger begins to scan and diagnose Celebi's condition.

The sun begins to rise as Celebi's call can be heard from the distance as it flies overhead. A mysterious light overcomes the nearby vine overgrowth as it then disperses into the atmosphere. A metallic arm then comes from the distance as a new mecha captures Celebi within its grasp. Team Rocket begins to set the usual scene and set the means for a Pokémon battle. The mecha heads off into the distance as the Ranger dashes for the mecha and begins propelling throughout the trees. Spinning and rotating through the trees, the Ranger lands atop the mecha as Plusle electrifies Team Rocket with Thunder Wave and the Ranger frees Celebi from the mecha's grasp. Team Rocket is sent blasting off into the sky and crashes back into the ground with their newly destroyed mecha sparking and burning in the background.

With their Poké Balls in hand, Team Rocket is all more than ready for this battle to begin. Jessie and James quickly call upon Cacnea and Seviper as Brock and Ash release Pikachu and Marshtomp. As Seviper goes for a Poison Tail attack, Marshtomp quickly dodges this. Cacnea uses Pin Missile but it's evaded by Pikachu. Pikachu then begins to electrify Cacnea with Thunderbolt and follows up with an Iron Tail, as Marshtomp uses Mud Shot on Seviper. Cacnea is then sent backwards towards James as Pikachu finishes the battle with Volt Tackle. The paralyzed Team Rocket is then thrust into the sky and speeding off into the sky again. The mecha explodes as a fire rages and Celebi rushes to seal the flame with vines. As the flame is engulfed, it disperses with a healing light and sound emitting from Celebi's body.

With a quick goodbye, Celebi makes his departure in one blinding light. It's a blast from the past, with Celebi meeting Ash once more. Now with a newly revived spirit, Ash and his friends cycle off into the distance towards their next destination, Fuchsia City and the Battle Pike.

The Cycling Road in this episode is very different from its appearance in the The Bridge Bike Gang. In the first appearance, the bridge was surrounded by a sea while in this episode it is surrounded by a forest. The structure of the bridge has noticeably changed as well.

This episode marks the first time a Mythical Pokémon makes an appearance in the main anime.